Historical Background of the
Puritans
A.P. LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION
MRS. BRYAN
Who were the Puritans?
 Religious reformers who emerged within the Church of
England during the middle of the sixteenth century.
 Believed that the reforms of the Church of England did
not go far enough.
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Reformation - Church of England formed by King Henry VIII after
breaking away from the Catholic church
the liturgy was still too Catholic. Bishops lived like princes.
Ecclesiastical courts were corrupt.
 Because the king of England was head of both church and
state, the Puritans' opposition to religious authority
meant they also defied the civil authority of the state
Who were the Puritans?
 Came to America in the 1620s to seek refuge from
persecution in English and to set up their own “New
World”
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Established religious theocracy = religion IS the government
Ruled by religious leaders
 Established colony in Boston
Who were the Puritans?
 Imagined themselves re-enacting the story of the
Exodus.
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Like the ancient Israelites, they were liberated by God from
oppression and bound to him by a covenant;
Chosen by God to fulfill a special role in human history: to
establish a new, pure Christian commonwealth.
Onboard the flagship Arbella, their leader John
Winthrop reminded them of their duties and obligations under
the covenant. If they honored their obligations to God, they
would be blessed; if they failed, they would be punished.
Who were the Puritans?
 Sought to cleanse the culture of what they regarded as
corrupt, sinful practices.
 Believed that the civil government should enforce public
morality by prohibiting:
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drunkenness
gambling,
ostentatious dress,
swearing, and
Sabbath-breaking.
 They also wished to purge churches of every vestige of
Roman Catholic ritual
Tenets of Puritan Theology
 Total depravity--the Puritan/Pilgrim belief that from
the moment of birth, human beings are filthy,
disgusting, and evil.
 Grace--the one shining light in Puritan theology:
God, for reasons unknown to humans, may decide to
forgive or demonstrate an act of goodness.
Tenets of Puritan Theology
 Original sin--the original sin of Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden: the eating from the tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil.
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One of the most influential stories in the history of Western
civilization
Why eating from the tree would be a sin? According to the
Puritan worldview, presupposing that you have a right to
discern what is good or evil would be committing the worst sin
of all--the sin of Pride.
Tenets of Puritan Theology
 New Eden—believed they would actually establish a New
Eden in the New World.
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Reactionary people, who wanted to return to the past.
The notion of progress or change would be blasphemous to them.
They called themselves the "new Israelites," and believed their
mission was to reenact Biblical history.
 The Fall--the downfall and punishment of humanity that
happened as a result of Adam and Eve's original sin.
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For ever more, all women would suffer the pain of childbirth, and
men would have to work hard.
No longer would human beings be surrounded by the plentiful,
verdant environment of Eden.
Tenets of Puritan Theology
 The Elect--the belief that only certain people were
predestined to go to heaven.
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Puritans believe only a small percentage of people were
"saved" or part of the Elect.
___ out of ____
 Saints – another word for the elect
 The Damned--all those people going to Hell
(which means most of us, according to the Puritans).
Tenets of Puritan Theology
 Predestination--the belief that before all time began,
before there was even a universe, God determined
who was going to heaven and who was going to hell.
Tenets of Puritan Theology
 Special providence--God intervenes in the daily lives
of human beings by showing some kindness.
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The Puritan God was perceived as mean, wrathful, and
someone to be feared, who, at times, could be kind (but not
often) and show his grace.
 Bible Commonwealth--the Puritan belief that the
laws of their colony should be those reflected in the
Old Testament.
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The Puritans would have considered democracy and the idea of
separation of church and state blasphemous.
Ironic- public meetings, divorce
Pilgrim VS Puritan
 Pilgrim--a person who journeys for religious
reasons.
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Where the term Pilgrims came from.
 Puritans = settled Boston
 Puritans wanted to "purify" the Anglican church of Englandm
get rid of any catholic or "popish" elements,
 Pilgrims = settled Plymouth
 Wanted to separate altogether from the Anglican Church and
were considered separatists
Writing Style
 Plain style--The Puritans/Pilgrims believed
adorning writing with figurative language was sinful,
unless used in sermons (or some poetry) for religious
purposes only.
 They believed that figurative language could cause
the mind to wander and be "imaginative," which
might make a reader prey for the Devil.
Writing Style
 Archaic language—Again, Puritans/Pilgrims were
reactionary.
 Language that is in the selection is, at times,
anachronistic.
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Puritan usage of words such as "whilst," "betimes," and
"betook" was actually less modern than other writings at the
time.
 Reflection of culture and belief.
 Archaic diction reflected their wish to return to an earlier,
more paradisiacal time--the time of the garden of Eden.
 These New England settlers literally believed that they could
reestablish Eden.
Writing Style
 Bible-centered--The entire sensibility of the
Puritans/Pilgrims was infused by teachings from the
Bible.
 allusive--Puritan writing is replete with allusions to
the Bible.
Writing Genres
 We know so much about Puritans/Pilgrims because
they respected the word (logos), and left volumes of
writings for future historians.
 They established the first public school system,
believed both boys and girls should be educated.
 They also established many of the Ivy League
colleges of today. They deeply respected education.
Writing Genres
 chronicles, histories, annals—
 Practical people who recorded daily accounts of what
happened at the time. "Histories" tended to be a collection of
"chronicles." Annals were yearly reports.
 journals/diaries--Every good Puritan/Pilgrim kept a
journal in
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recorded mundane facts of everyday life
also recorded reactions to sermons and Biblical readings,
spiritual reflections, and contemplations of whether they were
one of the Elect.
Writing Genres
 some poetry--Although Puritans/Pilgrims did write poetry about personal
life experiences
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it was considered sinful to write poetry unless the theme was religious.
Done secretly, except in the case of Anne Bradstreet who became published
 sermons--Puritans/Pilgrims loved going to sermons. They, at times, would
listen to two 2-3 hour sermons a day on a Sunday, and during the week
they would often travel to neighboring towns to hear additional
sermons. Sermons were discussed at the dinner table, and for many, this
discussion was a great source of entertainment.
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no movies, television, radio, etc.
The meetinghouse (not church), where they would hear sermons was a social event as well
as a religious event.
 Lastly, Puritans/Pilgrims thought imaginative literature, such as drama
and short stories was sinful. The novel as a genre had not actually been
developed; this would occur at the end of the 1700s.